Department for Transport

Channel Ferries: Freight

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how long the full procurement process took in each case to agree the public contracts his Department recently awarded to (a) DFDS, (b) Seaborne Freight and (c) Brittany Ferries for roll-on roll-off freight ferry services; and if he will place a copy of each contract in the Library.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: In each case, the full procurement process was completed within the month of December. Details of the contracts are commercially sensitive.

Channel Ferries: Freight

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an estimate of the minimum number of vessels required to fulfil the public contracts his Department recently awarded to (a) DFDS, (b) Seaborne Freight and (c) Brittany Ferries for roll-on roll-off freight ferry services from UK ports.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: Specific vessel arrangements are a matter for operators.

Waterloo Station: Accidents

Laura Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the implementation of the (a) recommendations and (b) learning points set out in the Rail Accident Report: Collision at London Waterloo,15 August 2017, published the Rail Accident Investigation Branch in November 2018.

Andrew Jones: Responsibility for rail network safety rests with Network Rail and the Office of Road and Rail (ORR) - not the Department - but we will support our delivery partners by ensuring they continue to be adequately funded to deliver a safe and reliable rail network. I am advised that the ORR is working closely with Network Rail to ensure they are addressing the recommendations in the report.

Transport: Rural Areas

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to make additional funding available for rural community transport providers.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The services run by community transport operators are of vital importance to our transport sector and communities. During the most recent financial year, the Department for Transport supported community transport operators in England with almost £3.1 million through the Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG). The Department will take account of the needs of rural transport operators in any future review of BSOG.

Heathrow Airport

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential economic benefits of a third runway at Heathrow for that area; and what steps his Department plans to take to improve the local infrastructure.

Jesse Norman: The Government has undertaken a comprehensive strategic assessment of the effects of Heathrow expansion on the area surrounding the airport as part of the Appraisal of Sustainability. This assessment included consideration of local economic impacts including a forecast that, with expansion, between 39,000 and 78,000 additional local jobs will be created by 2050. The Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS) expects that Heathrow Airport Limited’s (HAL) public pledge on apprenticeships will be met. By 2030 this is projected to double to 10,000 the number of apprenticeships available across the airport, its supply chain and airport related businesses.Heathrow Airport already has good surface transport links to the rest of the UK. In the future, it will connect to Crossrail, link to HS2 at Old Oak Common and Transport for London has recently completed the procurement for new trains on the Piccadilly line which will increase to 15 trains per hour the number of trains serving the airport. Plans are being developed for further enhancements to rail access to the airport.

Railway Stations: Disability

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to improve step-free access at rural train stations.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: We are committed to improving accessibility at railway stations and we have made an additional £300m available to extend our Access for All programme until at least 2024. The industry has nominated more than 300 stations, including many in rural areas, for this funding and we hope to announce the successful stations in April. In addition, whenever the industry installs, replaces or renews station infrastructure this must comply with current accessibility standards. Failure to do so can lead to enforcement action by the Office of Rail and Road.

Bus Services

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on the number of trained bus drivers in each year since 2010.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Office for National Statistics Labour Force Survey collects information on the number of people in the UK in employment as a ‘Bus or Coach Driver’. The totals for 2010 to 2018 are given in the table below. Bus and coach drivers in employment: UK, 2010 to 2018 (Apr-Jun each year) YearTotal in employment2010132,0002011116,0002012105,000201397,0002014100,0002015122,0002016119,0002017140,0002018138,000

Bus Services

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the availability of bus drivers on bus services.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The bus market outside London is deregulated and decisions regarding the availability of bus drivers to run services is primarily a matter for commercial bus operators. According to data published by ONS there were 138,000 bus and coach drivers employed in the United Kingdom in 2018.

Bus Services: Fares

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on the change in the level of bus fares across England since 2010.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Department publishes a quarterly index of local bus fares from 2005 onwards. The information can be found in the table at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/bus04-costs-fares-and-revenue#table-bus0415  In the 8 years between March 2010 and March 2018, bus fares in England increased by 11.9% in real terms (adjusted for inflation using CPI). By comparison, in the 5 years between March 2005 to March 2010, bus fares in England increased by 12.7% in real terms (adjusted for inflation using CPI).  The bus market outside London is deregulated and decisions regarding setting the level of fares, is primarily a commercial matter for bus operators.

Cycleways

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Government Response to Call for Evidence Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy: Safety Review,published in November 2018, what steps he is taking to clarify local authorities’ powers relating to civil enforcement of mandatory cycle lanes by bringing into effect the relevant provisions of Part 6 of the Traffic Management Act 2004.

Jesse Norman: The Government has no current plans to commence provisions in Part 6 of the Traffic Management Act 2004 that would allow local authorities in England outside London to enforce moving traffic offences. Local authorities may already enforce parking restrictions in mandatory cycle lanes. The Department for Transport will be clarifying the restrictions associated with mandatory cycle lanes as part of its work to update the Traffic Signs Manual and review the Highway Code.

Heathrow Airport: Railways

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the report entitled, Southern Rail Link to Heathrow Market Sounding, published by his Department in December 2018, what progress his Department has made on the publication of a (a) process and (b) timeframe in relation to the (i) development and (ii) completion of a Southern Rail Link to Heathrow.

Andrew Jones: The Market Sounding Findings Report, published by the Department in December 2018, indicated significant interest for development and financing of the Southern Rail Link to Heathrow. This interest from the market aligns with my intention for future private sector involvement and we remain keen to advance this project in order to deliver quicker and easier journeys for millions of holidaymakers and business travellers across the south of England. The report concluded that Government now needs to further clarify the outcomes we want to be delivered from this project. We are committed to doing this as quickly as possible following which we intend to set out further opportunities for market involvement.

Heathrow Airport: Railways

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on funding for the next stage of development of the Southern Rail Link to Heathrow.

Andrew Jones: A new Southern rail link to Heathrow forms part of our long term aspiration to make getting to the airport quicker and easier for millions of air travellers across south of England and is an exciting opportunity to harness new and innovative ideas from the private sector. The project is in the early stages of development and funding for the next stage is being provided by the Department. The Secretary of State has not had any discussions with the Chancellor in relation to funding this next stage of work.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Egypt: Ethnic Groups

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has made a recent assessment of the effect on the human rights of (a) the Nubian people and (b) other political dissenters of the Egyptian Government's alleged persecution of those people; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: ​We continue to monitor issues and cases involving Nubians and other minorities within Egypt. Egypt is a human rights priority country for the UK and the UK wants to see more political progress and better protection of human rights for all Egyptians, as set out in Egypt's constitution. The UK regularly raise concerns about human rights with the Egyptian Government both in public and in private. I raised our human rights concerns with the Egyptian Foreign Minister during my visit to Cairo on 14 October 2018.

Israel: West Bank

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Israeli counterpart on the (a) forceable removal of shepherding families in Ibzik, in the Jordan Valley (b) destruction of those communities' land by large-scale tank manoeuvres and (c) demolition of a school classroom serving those communities.

Alistair Burt: Whist we have not raised these specific issues, we regularly make clear our serious concerns about the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories to the Israeli authorities, both bilaterally and in co-operation with EU partners. These concerns include the evictions of Palestinians and demolition of Palestinian property, which cause unnecessary suffering to ordinary Palestinians, calls into question Israel’s commitment to a viable two-state solution, and, in all but the most exceptional cases, are contrary to International Humanitarian Law.

Kurds: Syria

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support his Department plans to provide to Kurdish groups in Syria after the withdrawal of US troops.

Alistair Burt: ​UK officials are in contact with several Syrian Kurdish groups and are aware of the concerns around the withdrawal of United States troops from Syria. As the US recognises, it is important that withdrawal is done in a way which allows the significant progress made in north-east Syria to be maintained. The UK remains committed to providing humanitarian assistance in north-east Syria. We will continue to work for a negotiated political settlement to the Syrian conflict protecting the rights of all Syrians.

Department of Health and Social Care

Drugs: Innovation

Nick Thomas-Symonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether it is an objective of the new NHS Long Term Plan to ensure that the most innovative drugs will be accessible to patients more quickly than they currently are.

Steve Brine: The NHS Long Term Plan, together with other recent initiatives including the Life Sciences Sector Deal and the 2019 Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing, describe the Government’s objectives for a health and care system that delivers world leading patient care and health outcomes. The Government wants patients to benefit from effective new drugs and the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access agreed between the Department and the branded pharmaceutical industry commits to align the speed of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence technology appraisals for non-cancer medicines to the faster timeline for cancer medicines. In addition, the Life Sciences Industrial Strategy set out a vision of being a world-leader in developing and bringing to market innovative medicines to improve life-chances of United Kingdom patients. It highlighted the importance of evolving and simplifying the access system for new medicines by implementing, and building on, the findings of the Accelerated Access Review.

Cannabis: Medical Treatments

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS prescriptons have been issued for patients to use medical cannabis since 1 November 2018.

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS prescriptions have been honoured at a pharmacy for patients to use medical cannabis since 1 November 2018.

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) prescriptions issued and (b) patients that use medical cannabis in the next 12 months.

Steve Brine: NHS England has set up systems to monitor the prescribing of cannabis-based products for medicinal use via the NHS Business Services Authority and NHS England Controlled Drugs Accountable Officers. We expect the first data to be available by the end of March 2019. The Department has made no estimate of future demand for medicinal cannabis over the next 12 months.

Asparaginase

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether Erwinase will be available for the treatment for children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia between January 2019 and March 2019; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Brine: Erwinase is produced by Porton Biopharma Ltd (PBL) and is licensed and distributed by Jazz Pharmaceuticals under a global licencing agreement. Due to increased demand for Erwinase and because PBL are manufacturing at capacity, until increases in capacity are brought into beneficial use there will be occasional stock-outs. The product is currently in stock in the United Kingdom. The Department has been informed, it is likely there will be a short stock-out in early February 2019 and then a further batch is planned to be released to Jazz Pharmaceuticals, who are responsible for the packaging/distribution and allocation of worldwide product supply, anticipated to reach the UK market by mid-February 2019 which should last until the end of March 2019. The Department and Public Health England (PHE) are in close contact with, and have been kept informed by the PBL management of short periods of interrupted supply. PBL have and will be implementing a series of initiatives to increase capacity and better supply the market in both the short and long term. PBL are fully aware of the consequences that the unavailability of Erwinase has on patients and are absolutely committed to working with all involved to resolve any issues and be able to supply this critical medicine. The Department and PHE will continue to monitor the situation closely.

Cannabis: Medical Treatments

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department with NHS Trusts on implementing adequate measures to ensure access to medical cannabis for patients.

Steve Brine: Officials in the Department have worked with colleagues in NHS England, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the Home Office and individual National Health Service trusts, as necessary, to ensure that individual patients can access cannabis-based medicinal products where specialist doctors have decided this would be clinically beneficial.

Cannabis: Medical Treatments

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of patients that were denied access to medicinal cannabis by their (a) NHS trust, (b) GP and (c) neurologist.

Steve Brine: The Department does not hold the information requested.

Cannabis: Medical Treatments

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of NHS and medical professionals body guidelines on the prescription of medical cannabis.

Steve Brine: The interim clinical guidance, commissioned by NHS England and issued by the Royal College of Physicians, British Paediatric Neurology Association and Association of British Neurologists is based on the best available clinical evidence for safety, efficacy and cost effectiveness and reflects clinical guidance that has been published in other jurisdictions. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, has been commissioned to develop guidelines for the National Health Service on the prescribing of cannabis-based medicinal products by October 2019. This will update and replace the interim guidance.

Cannabis: Medical Treatments

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of hospital trusts in implementing the law change of 1 November 2018 to ensure patients that might benefit from medical cannabis are able to.

Steve Brine: The Government has not made an assessment of the effectiveness of National Health Service trusts in implementing the change of law.

Bedrocan

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many times (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department have met with Bedrocan.

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many times (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department have met with Tilray.

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many times (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department have met with GW Pharmaceuticals.

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many times (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department have met with Aphria.

Steve Brine: Departmental officials have communicated with a range of manufacturers and importers regarding the establishment of supplies of cannabis-based products for medicinal use in the United Kingdom. Whilst the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has not met with Bedrocan, Tilray, GW Pharmaceuticals or Aphria, the former Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Lord O’Shaughnessy) did meet with GW Pharmaceuticals once. Since January 2018, officials from the Department have met with Bedrocan once, Tilray three times and GW Pharmaceuticals seven times (including a meeting which involved the Department’s Chief Scientific Advisor). No meetings have taken place between Departmental officials and Aphria.

Childbirth

Gareth Snell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many babies were born in (a) an obstetric unit, (b) a midwifery unit situated alongside an obstetric unit, (c) a standalone midwifery unit, (d) at home, (e) in another setting in the most recent period for which information is available.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The most recent relevant data available are from the ‘Maternity Services Monthly Statistics - September 2018 Experimental Statistics’, published on 3 January 2019. This is a report on National Health Service-funded maternity services in England for September 2018, using data submitted to the Maternity Services Data Set. The totals in the following table reflect data received from 127 NHS-funded maternity providers in England who submitted data and reflect responses to questions on the place of birth of babies born in September 2018. Place of birthTotal number of babies born (September 2018)Midwifery unit, co-located with consultant obstetric unit3,342Midwifery unit, co-located with other non-obstetric consultant unit107Midwifery unit, stand alone651Midwifery unit, type not known1,923At a domestic address822Consultant ward15,339General medical practitioner (GMP) ward5Consultant/GMP/midwife ward24,600Other hospital or institution5Ward/unit without delivery facilities138None of the above132Not known299Missing Value / Value outside reporting parameters1,065 Of the 132 NHS-funded maternity providers in England, 127 submitted data relating to births in September 2018. NHS Digital is continuing to work closely with providers who did not respond or did not provide complete data and expects coverage and data quality to increase over time. Further details can be found at the following link: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/maternity-services-monthly-statistics/september-2018

General Practitioners: Digital Technology

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to page 6 of the NHS Long-Term Plan, whether the right of every patient to have an online digital GP consultation will be added to the NHS constitution.

Steve Brine: To date, no decision has been taken to whether the right of every patient to have an online general practitioner consultation will be added to the NHS Constitution. The ultimate decision about what is included in the NHS Constitution rests with the Department and may be subject to parliamentary agreement.

General Practitioners: Digital Technology

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to page 6 of the NHS Long-Term Plan, what estimate has he made of the proportion of online GP consultations that will be carried out by private providers that do not currently provide NHS services.

Steve Brine: To date, no estimate has been made. The proportion will depend on the preferences of patients and the extent to which existing providers of primary care take up the opportunity to offer online general practitioner consultations.

Gambling: Rehabilitation

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding from the £20.5 billion of investment announced in the NHS Long Term Plan will be allocated to clinics dedicated to the treatment of problem gambling.

Steve Brine: Holding answer received on 17 January 2019



The allocation of funding to the expansion of specialist treatment for gambling related harm announced in the NHS Long Term Plan has yet to be determined by NHS England.

Prescriptions

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the effect of Prescription Ordering Direct services' ability to deny or delay repeat prescription requests from patients with lifelong or long-term illnesses or diseases for whom their GP has always previously and continues to prescribe such medication on the health of such patients.

Steve Brine: Holding answer received on 17 January 2019



The Department has no such plans to make an assessment. It is important that patients can access their prescribed medicines in a timely and convenient manner, and any service introduced should not hinder general practitioner’s ability to provide this. The General Medical Council’s Prescribing Guidance has specific recommendations on this topic, and explains that prescribers “must make sure that any repeat prescription they sign is safe and appropriate” and “repeat prescriptions received earlier or later than expected may indicate poor adherence, leading to inadequate therapy or adverse effects”.

Preventive Medicine

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to page 38 of his Department's document of 5 November 2018, Prevention is better than cure, our vision to help you live well for longer, what progress he is making on considering the best available evidence of what a health in all policies approach could look like.

Steve Brine: In the Prevention Vision document, ‘Prevention is Better Than Cure’, we committed to publishing a Prevention Green Paper setting out Government plans on prevention in more detail. Planning for this Green Paper is now underway, and officials will be working with a range of external partners and other Government departments on the content. Full details will be available later this year, when the Green Paper is published.

Dental Health: Children

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of children aged five had at least one missing, decayed or filled tooth in each of the last eight years .

Steve Brine: Holding answer received on 17 January 2019



Data on five year old dental health is not collected annually. Data on the proportion of five year olds with at least one missing, decayed or filled tooth because of decay available for the last eight years is in the following table. These data are not comparable due to changes in methodology between the surveys. Data collection for the 2018/19 survey is currently underway and results will be published in spring 2020. Data from the surveys of five year old children can be viewed at the following link: http://www.nwph.net/dentalhealth/5year%20docs.aspx YearProportion of five year old children with one or more teeth affected by decay2012128%2013225%2015324.7%2017323.3% Notes:- Caution is advised when making comparisons of these data as they come from different data sets- 1 Source: former NHS Dental Epidemiology Programme- 2 Source: Child Dental Health Survey, 2013- 3 Source: Public Health England Dental Public Health Intelligence Programme

Department for Education

Adult Education

Bill Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he plans to publish the conclusions of his Department's consultation, Review of Post-18 Education and Funding.

Chris Skidmore: The Review of Post-18 Education and Funding is being informed by independent advice from an expert panel, chaired by Philip Augar. The panel have undertaken an extensive programme of stakeholder engagement and evidence gathering. They will report in 2019 before government concludes the overall review.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Local Government: Crawley

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the accuracy of allegations (a) of approximately £500,000 being spent inefficiently by Crawley Borough Council on a recent IT project and (b) that freedom of information requests by residents on that subject have not been fully responded to; and if he will make a statement.

Rishi Sunak: Local councils act independently of central government. They are accountable for their actions to their electorate and there are mechanisms in place for local people to hold councils to account. This means that any questions about spending decisions, the delivery of services, or the performance of a council are for that council to respond to. If local people remain unsatisfied with the response they receive from the council they can contact the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman for advice.In respect of Freedom of Information requests, if a requester is unhappy with the response of the local authority to their FOI requests, they can ask the independent Information Commissioner to investigate.

Non-domestic Rates

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much private (a) schools and (b) hospitals claimed in business rate relief in each of the last four years.

Rishi Sunak: The Department does not collect information about the value of business rates reliefs split by type of business.

Travellers: Caravan Sites

Lee Rowley: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to publish updated guidance on Traveller accommodation needs assessments following the withdrawal of the 2007 guidance in 2016.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: In March 2016 the Government published draft guidance to local housing authorities on the periodical review of housing needs for people living in caravans and houseboats, in relation to the duty under section 8 of the Housing Act 1985. We are considering the future of this guidance in light of the responses to the consultation on unauthorised development and encampments.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the effect on the financial circumstances of universal credit claimants who receive their wages on a fixed day each month and therefore have multiple pay days during an assessment period; and if she will make a statement.

Alok Sharma: Universal Credit payments reflect, as closely as possible, the actual circumstances of a household during each monthly assessment period. Assessment periods allow for Universal Credit awards to be adjusted on a monthly basis, ensuring that if a claimant’s income falls, they do not have to wait several months for a rise in their Universal Credit award. Some claimants receive earnings from work multiple times within an assessment period if they are paid via four-weekly, fortnightly, or weekly patterns. This in turn may reduce, or in some cases, nil the Universal Credit award the claimant receives that month. Claimants can always discuss the implications of this with their case managers and work coaches and can be referred to Personal Budgeting Support to help them manage their budgeting. If a claimant’s Universal Credit claim is closed due to this, claimants can re-claim the following month via a more simplified process than for an initial claim. We have produced guidance to help ensure claimants, staff and representatives are aware of the importance of reporting accurate dates and the impact on payment cycles. This is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-different-earning-patterns-and-your-payments/universal-credit-different-earning-patterns-and-your-payments-payment-cycles The Government is working with employers to ensure that they use the most appropriate payment practices and comply with RTI guidelines in order to minimise the incidence of erroneous or late reporting by employers. HMRC have recently updated guidance to reiterate to employers the importance of reporting accurate dates and the impact on payment cycles; the Financial Secretary to the Treasury is working closely with HMRC and employers to do this.

Employment: Offenders

Chris Elmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Justice on improving access to employment for ex-offenders.

Justin Tomlinson: The Secretary of State attended the Ministerial Reoffending Board on 26th November, along with the Secretary of State for Justice. A range of issues were discussed, including improving access to employment for ex-offenders. This Government recognises that supporting ex-offenders into work is a crucial part of effective rehabilitation. DWP officials work closely with their counterparts in MoJ to improve the outcomes for ex–offenders. The DWP has dedicated Prison Work Coaches based in resettlement prisons across Great Britain, who work with prisoners, prison services, local partners and employers to help secure training, work experience and employment opportunities. Ex-offenders are also entitled to tailored support from Jobcentre Work Coaches and early, priority access to the Work and Health Programme.

Home Office

Police: Forensic Science

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment his Department has made of the quality of forensic science investigation work in police forces, and if he will make a statement.

Mr Nick Hurd: The National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) monitors the quality of forensic science investigations by police forces.The Government is committed to ensuring that policing meets appropriate quality standards across the system and fully supports the Forensic Science Regulator's timetable for accreditation and is committed to giving her statutory powers.

Metropolitan Police: Emergency Calls

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many 999 calls were received by the Metropolitan Police in each month of 2018.

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many 999 calls were graded as (a) S grade and (b) I grade in each month of 2018.

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many 999 calls were downgraded from I to S grade within 15 minutes of receiving the initial call in each month of 2018.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Home Office does not collect this data. Law enforcement, including the handling of 999 calls is an operational matter for the police.It is for elected Police Crime Commissioners and Chief Constables to decide how best to manage their communications and response to the public.

Police: Greater London

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) police officers, (b) police community support officers, (c) non-uniformed police staff, (d) special constables, (e) designated officers, (f) dogs and (g) horses were deployed in (i) the London Borough of Redbridge and (ii) the Metropolitan Police Service area in each year since 2010.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Home Office collects and publishes statistics on the number of police officers, police staff, designated officers, police community support officers and special constables employed by each police force in England and Wales on a bi-annual basis. These data are published in the ‘Police workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletins.The Home Office collects this information at Police Force Area level only. Data on the number of police officers, police staff, designated officers, police community support officers and special constables in the Metropolitan Police Service, as at 31 March each year and going back to March 2007, can be found in the accompanying Open Data Table: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/629362/open-data-table-police-workforce.odsThe Home Office does not hold information on the total number of dogs or horses deployed by police forces.

Undocumented Migrants: Detainees

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his oral contribution on 7 January 2019, Official Report, column 85, how many migrants arriving on the Kent coast in (a) the first nine months and (b) the final three months of 2018 have been detained in immigration removal centres.

Caroline Nokes: During 2018 there has been a rise in the number of migrants crossing the Channel in small boats to reach the UK to claim asylum.Information on people entering detention by age, sex and place of initial detention (as at year ending September 2018) is available in table dt_01_q of the detention tables, which can be found in the latest release of ‘Immigration Statistics’, available from the Home Office website at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-september-2018/list-of-tables#detention

Asylum: Undocumented Migrants

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his oral contribution of 7 January 2019, Official Report, column 85, whether all those arriving on the Kent coast since 1 October 2018 who claimed asylum have had their claims registered.

Caroline Nokes: Over 500 migrants, the majority of whom are Iranian nationals, attempted to travel to the UK in small vessels during 2018. The vast majority of those attempts were made in the last three months of the year.We are unable to state how many applications from this route have had their claims registered, as we do not comment on the status of cases once they have claimed asylum.

Undocumented Migrants: Children

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his oral contribution of 7 January 2019, Official Report, column 85, how many unaccompanied children arrived at the Kent coast in (a) the first nine months and (b) the final three months of 2018.

Caroline Nokes: We do not routinely publish this level of data on clandestine entry or attempts to enter the UK and we do not comment on the status of cases once they have claimed asylum.

Undocumented Migrants: English Channel

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his oral contribution of the Home Secretary of 7 January 2019, Official Report, Column 94, how many of the 316 migrants arriving in the UK who had crossed the English Channel subsequently claimed asylum.

Caroline Nokes: Over 500 migrants, the majority of whom are Iranian nationals, attempted to travel to the UK in small vessels during 2018. The vast majority of those attempts were made in the last three months of the year.We are unable to state how many applications from this route have claimed asylum, as we do not comment on the status of cases once an asylum claim has been made.

Undocumented Migrants: English Channel

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many migrants crossing the English Channel in each of the last three months have subsequently claimed asylum in the UK.

Caroline Nokes: Over 500 migrants, the majority of whom are Iranian nationals, attempted to travel to the UK in small vessels during 2018. The vast majority of those attempts were made in the last three months of the year.We are unable to state how many applications from this route have claimed asylum, as we do not comment on the status of cases once an asylum claim has been made.

Firearms: Crime

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the number of illegal firearms possessed by people living in the UK.

Mr Nick Hurd: The National Ballistics Intelligence Service (NABIS) and wider law enforcement regularly assess the volume of illegal firearms used in crime in the UK. NABIS produce quarterly reports on the threat, but their assessment is continuous and key information is shared amongst law enforcement on a real time basis. This information is operationally sensitive and not published.We are continuing to deliver the Strategic Defence and Security Review commitment to choke off the supply and availability of illegal firearms to prevent their use by criminal or terrorist groups in the UK. This includes ensuring we have the right intelligence, detection and enforcement capabilities and policies, internationally, at the UK border, and within the UK.

Police: Finance

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the financial effect on police forces in 2019-20 of (a) employers' contribution to police pensions schemes, (b) inflation and (c) national pay awards.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Government has worked closely with policing stakeholders to understand the impact that changes to police officer pensions will have on their budgets in 2019/20 and beyond.The Police Remuneration Review Body will submit their recommendations for the police award for 2019/20 to the Government in May. The Government will very carefully consider their recommendations and the impact on force budgets.The Government’s proposed funding settlement for the police for 2019/20 was announced last month and provides additional funding of up to £970 million, including additional Government grant funding, council tax precept and investment in national priorities. This substantial increase will enable forces to meet their genuine financial pressures as well as to invest in key capabilities.

Home Office: Mayor of the West Midlands

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many times he has met with the Mayor of the West Midlands since 1 November 2018.

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations he has received from the Mayor of the West Midlands on police funding.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Home Secretary last met with the Mayor of the West Midlands on 7 August 2018 where they discussed a range of issues including police funding and devolutionMinisters meet regularly with Police and Crime Commissioners and Mayors to discuss a range of topics. This includes significant recent engagement on demand ahead of the publication of the Provisional Police Funding Settlement last month.Under these proposals total funding for West Midlands Police could increase by up to £34.2 million to £568.6 million in 2019/20, including funding from council tax, if the Police and Crime Commissioner uses the full precept flexibility provided.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Emigration: EU Countries

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what are the financial costs for a British citizen to become a citizen of each European Union member state.

Mr Robin Walker: Rules surrounding the acquisition of citizenship in each European Union Member State, including cost, is a matter for that Member State’s authorities. Country-specific information on the cost of citizenship, where available, is given via the ‘Living in Guides’ which you can find at: https://bit.ly/2PJAHjx. For instance, currently the cost of citizenship in Germany is €255 per person or, for children who are naturalised together with their parents, it is €51 per child.

Treasury

Help to Save Scheme

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people have live savings accounts under the Help to Save scheme in (a) the UK and (b) Preseli Pembrokeshire at 31 December 2018.

John Glen: As of 31st December 2018 the total number of Help to Save accounts open across the UK was 80,810. The number of Help to Save accounts open in the Preseli Pembrokeshire constituency totaled 125.